1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of generating an electrostatic field of high potential or voltage for electrostatically flocking a thread-like or yarn-like material, i.e. covering said material with fibers, with said material, in the form of a number of grounded threads or yarns which are provided with an adhesive, being moved through an electrostatic field of high voltage which is effective between the potential surfaces of electrodes. Under the effect of this field, the flock material, which is supplied on an electrically non-conductive conveyer which is disposed above the lower electrode and above the threads of the group of threads, is accelerated in the direction toward the threads of the group of threads, and is shot into the adhesive coating of the threads
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the aforementioned method, and comprises a flocking chamber formed from a lower and an upper electrode, with each of said electrodes having an electrostatically operating potential surface, and being connectable to a high electrical voltage. A continuous conveying means for supplying flock material is disposed between the electrodes. Disposed ahead of the flocking chamber is an adhesive-applying mechanism for the group of threads, which can be withdrawn from a spool frame. Disposed after the flocking chamber is a drying chamber for the flocked threads. The threads are held rectilinearly by a stretching device, and are wound up by a winding apparatus.
The present invention furthermore relates to the flocked article which is produced pursuant to the aforementioned method and apparatus. The flocked article thus produced comprises threads or yarns which are surround by an adhesive coating in which is anchored flock that is essentially shot in electrostatically radially all around the threads or yarns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the conventional means for electrostatically flocking threads or yarns moved as a group of threads through an electrical field, threads or yarns which are flocked all the way around cannot be obtained. Such flocked articles are of a band-like nature, because essentially only those surfaces of the threads which face the planar potential surfaces of the electrodes are flocked.
On the other hand, however, pursuant to German Pat. No. 16 35 235, yarns and threads which are flocked all the way around can be obtained if the threads are rotated about their longitudinal axes as they move through the electrical field. However, the drawback to this known procedure is that the threads must be continuously rotated. Moreover, the flock density of the thread which is obtained could be much improved.
An object of the present invention is to provide, among other things, a method of electrostatically flocking threads or yarns, according to which any yarn or thread can be densely and optimally flocked all the way around without having to rotate the yarn or thread. Furthermore, the shortcomings of the heretofore known methods are to be avoided.